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MARYLAND STATE BOARD OF FORESTRY 

F. W. BESLEY, State Forester 

THE FORESTS 

—OF— 

WASHINGTON 
COUNTY 



BY 

F. W. BESLEY, State Forester 




BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 
JANUARY, 1922 



MARYLAND STATE BOARD OF FORESTRY 

it 

F. W. BESLEY, State Forester 

THE FORESTS 

—OF— 

WASHINGTON 
COUNTY 



BY 

F. W. BESLEY, State Forester 




BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 
JANUARY, 192a 



&*■ 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

• RECEIVED 

FEB S1 1922 






\<\* 



^ 



STATE FORESTER'S OFFICE 

815 Calvert Building 
BALTIMORE 



F. W. BESLEY State Forester 

KARL E. PFEIFFER. Assistant Forester 

JOSHUA A. COPE Assistant Forester 

SAMUEL CORBIN Assistant Forester 



NELLIE E. WHITCRAFT. , Secretary 

SARA M. REESE Clerk 




CONTENTS. 



Page. 

Introduction 7 

Land Classification 7 

Distribution of the Forests 8 

Description of the Forests 8 

Area, Stand, and Value of Saw Timber 9 

Commercial Type 10 

Native Forest Trees 11 

Important Timber Trees and Their Chief Uses 13 

Oaks 13 

White Oaks 14 

Red Oaks 14 

Chestnut 14 

Black Locust. 14 

Tulip Poplar 14 

The Lumber and Timber Cut, 1920 15 

Lumber 16 

Lath 16 

Railroad Ties 16 

Trolley Ties 16 

Poles 16 

Staves 16 

Pulpwood 16 

Cordwood 17 

Mine Props 17 

Tanbark 17 

Home Consumption of Timber and Wood 17 

Building Materials 17 

Fuel Wood 18 

Fence Rails 18 

Fence Posts 18 

Wood-Using Industries 18 

Table of Woods Used in 1916 19 



Page. 

Forest Protection 19 

Forest Fires 20 

Causes of Fires 20 

Forest Wardens 21 

Destructive Cutting Practices 21 

Chestnut Blight 22 

Grazing 23 

Forest Planting 23 

Black Locust 23 

White Pine 24 

Red Oak 24 

Other Species 24 

Planting Windbreaks 24 

The Future of the Forests 25 

Summary 27 



The Forests of Washington County. 



INTRODUCTION. 

At the time of the first settlements, about 200 years ago, prac- 
tically the entire land surface was covered with forests. As settle- 
ment advanced the forests receded, the better soils in Hagerstown 
Valley coming under the plough, as the fertile character of the land 
became better known. From a condition of 99 per cent, forest at 
the beginning, the forest area has, through successive stages of 
development, been reduced to 24 per cent. This 24 per cent., how- 
ever, is producing timber of considerable value and presents possi- 
bilities of far-reaching consequences under the improved methods 
of forest management herein described. 

Washington County lies in three physiographic divisions — the 
South Mountain — Blue Ridge section, the Hagerstown Valley, and 
the Appalachian Highlands — presenting variations in soil and 
growth conditions reflected in the great variety of tree species. 
The highly developed condition of the County, with its improved 
road system and large railroad mileage, opens up splendid, avail- 
able markets for forest products. 

A forest survey of the County was made in 1911, resulting in 
the mapping and classifying of all of the forest lands. This data 
is presented in graphic form on the large forest map, folded in the 
inside cover of this report. Statistics as to the annual production 
of forest products and the many uses of the forests have been 
obtained, and the records for the last calendar year, 1920, are used 
in this report. 

LAND CLASSIFICATION. 

Improved farm land 191,842 acres 63 per cent. 

Wooded area 72,274 acres 24 per cent. 

Waste land 41,006 acres 13 per cent. 

Total 305,122 acres 100 per fftwt. 



8 The Forests of Washington County. 

DISTRIBUTION OF THE FORESTS. 

The woodlands are very unevenly distributed over the County. 
The great bulk of the forests are in two sections, one along the 
eastern boundary, comprising the South Mountain and the Blue 
Ridge section, the other in the western part of the County, in the 
Alleganies, with the intervening half of the County, embracing the 
Hagerstown Valley, containing but a small percentage of scattered 
woodland, constituting in some sections only 2 per cent, of the 
area. The section from Fairview Mountain, westward, contains 
the largest percentage of forest land. The forests are confined for 
the most part to rocky ridges and steep slopes, with the better type 
of soils of the valleys and more rolling land cleared for agricultural 
crops. 

Table No. 1 shows the area, stand, and value of sawed timber 
by election districts. The character and distribution of the forest 
is shown more clearly on the forest map at the end of this report. 

DESCRIPTION OF THE FORESTS. 

The forests of the County are made up most largely of hard- 
wood species, principally oak, hickory, maple, tulip poplar, and 
gum, with a large number of other species in small proportion. In 
the western half of the County are small areas of pure pine, with 
much larger areas of pine in mixture with hardwood. The pine 
represented in the County is almost entirely scrub pine, although 
white pine is found to a small extent in the extreme western part. 
Chestnut formerly comprised a large proportion of the stands, par- 
ticularly in the eastern section of South Mountain and the Blue 
Ridge, and still forms a considerable proportion along the promi- 
nent ridges in the western part of the County where the chestnut 
blight has not yet killed all the chestnut, as is the case in the 
eastern section of the County. The flat Hagerstown Valley, with 
its limestone soil, upon which the chestnut does not grow, appar- 
ently furnished a temporary barrier to the westward spread of the 
chestnut blight. The disease, however, is thoroughly established in* 
the western section, having gotten into the State southward from 
Pennsylvania, and it is only a matter of a few years before the 
chestnut in this section will be destroyed as a commercial species, 
as is now the case in the eastern part of the State. 




PLATE I. PIG. 1. — Quirauk Tower. Built by the Western Maryland Railroad, equipped 

and maintained as a fire observation station by Maryland and 

Pennsylvania in co-operation. 




^fe^y^.^;v:,. ; ; > 



PLATE I. FIG. 2. — Forest on East Side of Fairview, Showing Chestnut Killed 

by the Blight. 



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The Forests of Washington County. 



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10 The Forests op Washington County. 

The forests may be separated generally into three types, de- 
pendent upon soil and moisture conditions. The ridge type, extend- 
ing along the top and upper portions of the ridges, consists largely 
of chestnut oak, mixed with scarlet oak and chestnut. Here the 
soils are the thinnest and driest, consequently the growth is slow 
and the trees short and more limby. This type, in addition to being 
the most inaccessible, is also of the lowest stumpage value, due to 
the inferior quality of the product. 

The slope type, comprising the forests along the slopes of the 
mountains and hills, having somewhat deeper soil and a greater 
moisture contents- than in the case of the ridge type, also has a 
better tree growth. The principal species are chestnut, black oak 
and white oak, on the upper slope; and on the lower slopes white 
oak, red oak, hickory, tulip poplar. The bottom type comprises a 
much smaller percentage of the forest area than the other two, and 
is found on the flats along the river and streams, and consists prin- 
cipally of ash, elm, willow and sycamore, together with some white 
oak, red oak and hickory. 

The forests are almost entirely of second growth, the original 
forest having been cut many years ago, and in some cases the forests 
have been cut over as many as three times. Cuttings for the most 
part have been made in a destructive manner and left the forests in 
poor condition. This, together with the damage occasioned by fre- 
quent forest fires, especially in the mountain sections, has resulted 
in rapid deterioration and low production. The effect of excessive 
cuttings and fifes has been to reduce the proportion of valuable 
species, and by leaving the undesirable species and defective trees, 
to increase the proportion of inferior growth to the exclusion of 
more valuable species. 

Commercial Types. — Commercially, the forests are divided into 
three classes as shown by the different colors on the forest map at 
the back of this report. The three classes are distinguished as 
hardwood, pine and mixed hardwood and pine. The hardwoods are 
further divided into three classes, depending upon the stand of 
timber. The merchantable hardwoods are those in which the stand 
is sufficient to justify profitable logging operations, while the culled 
hardwoods represent the cut over stands, which, however, in some 
cases, contain a sufficient amount of sawed timber to justify cutting 
on a small scale. The third class, the hardwood saplings, is com- 



The Forests of Washington County. 11 

posed of small areas of young trees, not of sufficient size to be of 
commercial value. There are but a few small areas of pure pine of 
the merchantable class, although there are considerable areas in the 
western part of the County where pine occurs in mixture with 
hardwoods. 

NATIVE FOREST TREES. 

There are 79 species of trees native to Washington County, and 
in addition four introduced species that have become common. In 
the list given below are many species that do not rank large size, 
but attain tree form and are, therefore, classed as trees. 

Conifers. 

Common Name. Botanical Name. 

White Pine Pinus strobus 

Scrub Pine Pinus virginiana 

Pitch Pine Pinus rigida 

Table Mountain Pine Pinus pungens 

Shortleaf Pine Pinus echinata 

Hemlock Tsuga canadensis 

Red Cedar Juniperus virginiana 

Hardwoods. 

Common Name. Botanical Name. 

White Oak Quercus alba 

Chestnut Oak Quercus prinus 

Post Oak Quercus stellata 

Swamp White Oak Quercus bicolor 

Red Oak Quercus rubra 

Black Oak Quercus velutina 

Scarlet Oak Quercus coccinea 

Pin Oak Quercus palustris 

Shingle Oak Quercus imbricaria 

Scrub Oak Quercus ilicifolia 

Black Jack Oak Quercus marilandica 

Bear Oak Quercus nana 

Willow Oak Quercus phellos 



12 The Forests of Washington County. 

Common Name. Botanical Name. 

Chinquapin Oak .....Quercus prinoides 

Chestnut ....Castanea dentata 

Chinquapin Castanea pumila 

Yellow Poplar..., Liriodendron tulipifera 

Mockernut Hickory Carya alba 

Pignut Hickory Carya glabra 

Big Shellbark Hickory Carya laciniosa 

Small Pignut Hickory ..Carya microcarpa 

Shellbark Hickory Carya ovata 

lied Maple Acer rubrum 

Sugar Maple Acer sacckarum 

Black Maple Acer nigrum 

Mountain Maple Acer spicatum 

Box Elder Acer negundo 

Black Walnut , Juglans nigra 

Butternut Juglans cinerea 

Beech Fagus grandifolia 

White Ash Fraxinus americana 

Black Ash Fraxinus nigra 

Red Ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica 

Cucumber Magnolia acuminata 

Umbrella Tree Magnolia tripetala 

Black Birch Betula lenta 

Yellow Birch Betula lutea 

Red Birch Betula nigra 

Black Gum Nyssa sylvatica 

Sycamore Platanus occidentalis 

Balsam Poplar Populus balsamifera 

Large Toothed Poplar Populus grandidentata 

Aspen Populus tremuloides 

Black Locust Robinia pseudacacia 

Basswood Tilia americana 

White Elm Ulmus americana 

Slippery Elm Ulmus fulva 

Wild Black Cherry Prunus serotina 

Fire Cherry Prunus pennsylvanica 

Red Mulberry Morus rubra 

Paw Paw Asimina triloba 



The Forests of Washington County. 13 

Common Name. Botanical Name. 

Shad Bush Amelanchier canadensis 

Blue Beech Carpinus caroliniana 

Hackberry .-. Celtis occidentalis 

Redbud Cercis canadensis 

Dogwood Cornus florida 

Cockspur Thorn Crataegus crus-galli 

Scarlet Hawthorn Crataegus coccinea 

Persimmon Diospyrus virginiana 

Witch Hazel Hamamelis virginiana 

Hop Hornbeam Ostyra virginiana 

Mountain Ash Pyrus americana 

White Willow Salix nigra 

Black Willow Salix alba 

Sassafras Sassafras sassafras 

Holly Hex opaca 

Smooth Alder Alnus rugosa 

Staghorn Sumach .....Rhus typhina 

i 

Introduced Trees That Have Become Common in the Forest. 

Common Name. Botanical Name. 

Silver Poplar Populus alba 

Honey Locust Gleditsia triacanthos 

Ailanthus Ailanthus glandulosa 

Osage Orange Madura pomifera 

IMPORTANT TIMBER TREES AND THEIR CHIEF USES. 

Of the large number of trees named in the foregoing list, all 
are used to a greater or less extent for various purposes, but taking 
all of those which by reason of their abundance and good quality 
are used extensively, the list may be reduced to a comparatively 
few well recognized species. 

Oaks. — The various species of oaks constitute considerably over 
half of the lumber and timber cut of the County. There is no class 
of wood that possesses strength and durability to such a marked 
extent as the oak. The oaks, generally, are divided into two groups, 
white and red, each group containing several species that cannot 



14 The Forests of Washington County. 

be easily distinguished except by experts. The wood of the two 
groups is quite similar, although the wood of the red oaks is not 
quite so strong and much less durable in contact with the soil than 
the wood of the white oaks. 

White Oaks. — The chief species included in this group besides 
the true white oak are the chestnut oak, swamp white oak and post 
oak. This wood makes excellent ties and construction timbers, 
where strength and durability are so important. The demand for 
this valuable wood has resulted in very heavy cutting and serious 
depletion of the supply. 

Red Oaks. — In the red oak group are included, in addition to 
the true red oak, black oak, scarlet oak and pin oak. These woods 
are less durable than white oak, and for most purposes do not com- 
mand so high a price. Like white oak, however, red oak is heavy, 
hard, strong, and tough, but not so durable under exposure. For 
interior uses, such as furniture, finishing, etc., it is the equal of 
white oak and sells for about the same. Its chief uses are for gen- 
eral construction, railroad ties, car stock, furniture, and interior 
finishing. 

Chestnut. — Chestnut has been the most important tree species 
and still constitutes a very large percentage of the timber cut. Due 
to the chestnut blight, it is probable that it will not be able to 
longer hold its own, and is destined to disappear as a commercial 
species. Its chief uses are for telephone poles, railroad ties, 
shingles, staves, lumber and construction timbers on the farm. 

Black Locust. — This species is widely scattered over the County 
and is used, principally, for fence posts. A rather special market 
has been found for it for use in the making of cross-arm insulator 
pins. It is a tree that grows along the edges of the woods, fields, 
and in fence rows, rather than in the forests. The forest grown 
trees, however, furnish a better quality of wood, due to their slower 
growth and a larger proportion of hard, durable heart wood. 

Tulip Poplar. — This species, commonly known as yellow poplar, 
is extensively used for pulpwood, and for this purpose is usually 
sold as soon as the trees have reached the pole stage, 8-12 inches in 
diameter. The wood is of a fine texture, light, soft, and easily 
worked, and is used locally for weather boarding, sheathing and 
general construction. 



The Forests of Washington County. 15 

LUMBER AND TIMBER CUT, 1920. 

For the year 1920, there was a total of 32 sawmills operating 
in the County, of which only 9 operated during the entire year, the 
remaining 23 suspended operations during the summer, engaging 
in other work, such as threshing grain, using their traction engines 
for the purpose. The total output of 4,310,000 feet, board measure, 
of lumber consisted of boards, planks, and dimension materials, and 
did not include sawed ties or other products. Many operators get 
out ties, poles, staves, pulpwood, and cordwood in addition to lum- 
ber, while there are others which produce pulpwood, poles, or ties 
exclusively. While 1920 was a little above the normal in timber 
production, it represents a considerable falling off of ten years ago, 
due to the depletion of the available timber supply. 

Lumber and Timber Cut and Sold, 1920. 

Product. Amount. Value. 

Lumber (hardwood) 4,185,000 bd. ft. $146,475 

Lumber (softwood) 125,000 bd. ft. 3.125 

Lath 150,000 pieces 900 

Railroad ties 4,750 pieces 4,750 

Trolley ties 6,025 pieces 3,615 

Poles 12,350 pieces 61,750 

Staves 3,175,000 pieces 36,513 

Pulpwood 2,025 cords 28,350 

Cordwood 3,425 cords 17,125 

Mine props 16,000 pieces 4,800 

Tanbark 90 cords 1,440 

$308,840 



Home Consumption op Timber and Wood Products, 1920. 

Product. Amount. Value. 

Building material 288,000 cu. ft. $17,280 

Fuel wood 12,720 cords 31,800 

Fence rails 120,000 pieces 9,600 

Fence posts 125,000 pieces 15,000 

$73,680 



Total value of timber and wood products $382,523 



16 The Forests of Washington County. 

Lumber. — The total lumber output of 4,310,000 board feet 
includes 125,000 feet of pine. The larger proportion of hardwood 
lumber cut was oak and chestnut, with a number of other species 
in smaller proportion. The average price for lumber at the ship- 
ping point was $35 per thousand, making a total value of $149,600. 

Lath. — Lath are cut in small quantities, usually in connection 
with sawmill operations, and utilizing principally the slabs and 
other refuse from sawmills. The cut for 1920 represented 150,000 
lath, valued at $6 per thousand, amounting to 



Railroad Ties. — The demand for railroad ties and the good 
prices obtained has diverted much of the timber cut from lumber 
to ties. For this purpose white oak, red oak, and chestnut are the 
chief woods used, red oak constituting one-half, white oak and 
chestnut the remainder. Nearly all ties were sawed, the high cost 
of labor making it unprofitable to hew them. The hewed ties pro- 
duced were from small tracts where there was not sufficient timber 
to justify the setting up of a sawmill. In 1920, 4,750 ties were 
produced at an average price of $1, amounting to $4,750. 

Trolley Ties. — Trolley ties are variable in size, but are shorter 
and smaller than railroad ties. Chestnut was used to a greater 
extent than any other wood. In all, 6,025 were produced, with an 
average value of 60 cents at the railway, amounting to $3,615. 

Poles. — Since chestnut is the only wood used for telegraph, 
telephone, and trolley poles, the available supply is being rapidly 
exhausted by the chestnut blight. The poles range in length from 
25 to 60 feet, the average being about 35 feet. In 1920, 12,350 were 
produced at an average value of $5 each, amounting to $61,750. 

Staves. — The production of staves for slack barrel cooperage 
has increased in recent years, amounting to 3,175,000 pieces, valued 
at $11.50 per thousand, or a total value of $36,512.50. Chestnut 
was the principal wood used for the purpose, although other woods 
were used without discrimination. A clear cutting system is gen- 
erally practiced where stave wood is cut. 

Pulpwood. — This consisted of 2,025 cords at an average value 
of $14 per cord, amounting to $28,350. Tulip poplar was the prin- 
cipal wood used, although other species, such as butternut, maple, 
and sycamore, were cut and mixed with it to a limited extent. The 




PLATE II. 



FIG. 1. — East Side of Fairview Mountain. Washington County Forests 
are mainly confined to the mountain ridges and slopes. 




PLATE II. FIG. 2.— Natural Seeding on Abandoned Fields. Sideling Hill. 



The Forests op Washington County. 17 

wood is cut in 5-foot lengths and the bark peeled. A cord consists 
of 160 cubic feet of closely packed wood and represents the equiva- 
lent of about one and one-half cords of cordwood. 

Cordwood. — The cutting of cordwood in the winter time is an 
important industry in some sections. The wood is sold to lime 
burners and also to residents of towns for fuel purposes. Chestnut, 
oak, and hickory are the principal species cut for the purpose. The 
production in 1920 was 3,425 cords .at a value of f 5 per cord, 
amounting to $17,125. 

Mine Props. — A mine prop in Western Maryland consists of a 
stick 8 to 10 feet in length and from 4 to 5 inches at the top end. 
Any species of hardwood is accepted and the prices obtained for 
the past few years have been especially attractive, resulting in the 
cutting of quantities of small size trees from the forests. The cut 
for 1920 was 16,000 pieces, which at 30 cents each, f. o. b. cars, 
amounted to $4,800. 

Tanbark.— Chestnut oak bark is peeled in small quantities 
from trees cut in the spring and early summer for ties and saw logs. 
As most cutting operations are conducted in the fall and winter, 
when bark will not peel, it is only where there is a considerable 
quantity of chestnut oak to be cut that the trees are felled and 
peeled in the spring, the logs often being worked up the following 
winter. 

There is one large tannery in the County, located at Williams- 
port, which gets most of its bark from outside sources. The amount 
of bark produced in the County in 1920 was about 90 cords, valued 
at $1,440. 

Home Consumption of Timber and Wood.— In addition to the 
large amount of timber and wood cut and sold from the forests of 
the County, the amount cut and consumed on the premises by the 
owners almost equaled in volume the amount of wood exported. 
The home-used material consisted principally of four items — build- 
ing material, fuel wood, fence rails and posts. 

Building Materials. — A large amount of timber was used in the 
rough for building purposes on the farm, such as sills and timbers 
for barn and stable construction, posts and timber for sheds, hog 
pens and other structures, together with timbers used in bridge con- 



18 The Forests of Washington County. 

struction, etc. In all, 288,000 cubic feet were so used, valued at 
$17,280. 

Fuel Wood. — While a considerable portion of the farms use 
coal in whole, or in part, for fuel purposes, the large majority 
depend upon wood for fuel. The fuel wood used is, frequently, dead 
and down material and the inferior trees in the woodlands, although 
a large part was thrifty, growing timber. It is estimated that 
12,720 cords were used in 1920, which, at $2.50 per cord, had a 
value of $31,800. 

Fence Rails. — Chestnut, because of its durability and good 
splitting qualities, is the favorite wood for fence rails. The large 
amount of blight-killed chestnut has encouraged the making of 
chestnut rails to utilize the dead timber and extend the use of rail 
fences, although the wire fences are most commonly used though- 
out the County. The home consumption for this material in 1920 
was approximately 120,000 rails, valued at $9,600. 

Fence Posts. — Approximately 125,000 posts, valued at $15,000, 
were cut from the home woodland and used on the premises in 1920. 
Locust and cedar are preferred to all other woods because of their 
durable qualities, although chestnut, because of its much greater 
abundance, is used more largely than any other species. Chestnut 
ranks next in durability to the locust and cedar, which are not 
abundant. 

WOOD-USING INDUSTRIES. 

In addition to the production of raw products from the forests, 
it is interesting to note how far the use of lumber and wood enter 
into the wood-using industries, consisting only of local industries 
which take timber and wood products, from the County and from 
elsewhere, and by carrying them through further processes of manu- 
facture turn out valuable, finished products. In this particular, 
Washington County, as a manufacturer of articles made from wood 
ranks third in the State. While most of the lumber and wood used 
in the manufacture is imported from outside, there is a certain 
amount of home-grown material used. There are fifteen such plants 
in Washington County, employing a total of 966 men, an average of 
64 for each plant. Nearly half a million dollars is expended for the 
lumber and wood to keep these plants going, and the value of these 



The Forests of Washington County. 



19 



finished products is further multiplied. Manufacturing centers are 
at Hagerstown, where furniture-making is the chief wood-using 
industry. Planing mill products are also produced to a large extent, 
and to a lesser degree vehicles, musical instruments, wooden boxes, 
and novelties. 

There are eighteen different kinds of wood used by the manu- 
factories of Washington County, this being a larger variety than is 
shown by any other district in the State, outside of Baltimore. Oak 
leads in consumption, followed closely by yellow pine. 

With Baltimore in the central section of the State and Salis- 
bury on the Eastern Shore, Hagerstown is the third center of wood 
manufacturing in the State, with its numerous activities in Western 
Maryland. It is well situated in a strong network of railway lines, 
which add great importance to City and County in the shipping of 
both raw and finished products. 



Summary of Woods Used in Washington County in 1916. 



Kind of Wood. 



a b 








Cost 
M. 
ory. 


fa 


Av. 
per 
Fact 



8 »i 

~* O +* 

— . S3 



1. Oak species 

2. S. yellow pine.. 

3. Hickory species 

4. Black locust 

5. Basswood 



6. Tulip poplar 

7. Chestnut 

8. Cypress 

9. Hard maple 

10. Eastern spruce 



11. Beech 

12. Birch species.. 

13. Red gum 

14. E. white pine. 

15. W. white pine. 



16. Elm 

17. Ash species... 

18. Mahogany 



1,595,000 



508.000 
1,075,000 



50,000 



10,000 



50,000 



15,000 



5,070,000 
3,400,000 
2.007,000 



704,000 

637,000 
445,000 
450,000 
439,000 
375,000 

298,000 

166,000 

105,000 

40,000 

50,000 

22,000 



10,000 



|10,000 



6,665,000 
3,400,000 
2,515,000 
1,075,000 
704,000 

637,000 
495,000 
450,000 
439,000 
375,000 

308,000 
166,000 
105,000 
100,000 
50,000 

22,000 
15,000 
10,000 



38 
19 
14 

6 

4 

4 
3 
3 
3 
2 

2 

1 

.5 

.5 



$32.29 $215,215 



21.07 

14.19 

9.30 

25.67 

30.00 
23.63 
33.22 
22.S9 
32.60 

23.62 
26.87 
26.57 
40.50 
61.00 

22.73 

30.00 

145.00 



71,650 
35,700 
10,000 

18,072 

19,109 
11,695 
14,950 
10,049 
12,225 

7,274 
4,460 
2,790 
4,050 
3,050 

500 

450 

1,450 



Totals |3,303,000 1 14,208.000 120,000 



17,531,000 



100 



$25.25 



$442,689 



20 The Forests of Washington County. 

FOREST PROTECTION. 

The forests of the County are suffering severely from the effects 
of destructive agencies that have been operating for more than 100 
years. Chief among them is forest fire, and of scarcely less impor- 
tance is the damage resulting from reckless or wasteful cutting, 
followed by the chestnut blight and grazing. 

Forest Fires. — Forest fires have, in past years, swept over the 
mountain forests repeatedly, causing heavy damage. Valuable 
stands of timber have been destroyed, thrifty young growth has 
been either killed or so badly damaged as to check its growth and 
produce a very inferior quality of timber. The small trees on large 
areas have been completely destroyed, together with the leaf litter, 
which is the natural protection of the soil, adding fertility and con- 
serving soil moisture. The effect is not only in destroying timber 
and young growth, and damaging the soil itself, but it also reduces 
the capacity of the mountain forests to conserve the rainfall, to pre- 
vent floods, and to maintain a steady flow in the mountain streams. 

Causes of Fires. — An analysis of the forest fire records, kept by 
the State Board of Forestry, shows that in a single year, including 
the fall season of 1920 and the spring season of 1921, which is about 
an average for the past five years, there were 17 fires in the 
County, which burned over 2,221 acres of land, causing a direct 
damage of $5,391, and cost the State and County in equal proportion, 
$263 to extinguish. Of these 17 fires, 9 were incendiary (deliber- 
ately set out), 5 were caused by railroads, 1 from brush burning, 1 
from hunters, and 1 the cause is unknown. The most alarming fea- 
ture of this record is the large number of incendiary fires, the high- 
est percentage for any county for any year since records have been 
kept. The forest law provides heavy penalties for maliciously set- 
ting fire on another's lands, and in one of the nine cases of deliberate 
setting of fire, the State Board of Forestry secured a conviction. 
Such fires are the outcome of perverted ideas about burning over 
the woodland for huckleberries, pasturage, or what not, some cases 
of spite work, others apparently pure "cussedness." At least 75 
per cent, of the fires are preventable, with proper care on the part 
of all owners and users of the forest. The State Board of Forestry 
maintains a protective system for the County, consisting of twelve 
wardens — one on patrol duty — also a lookout tower at Quirauk in 



The Forests of Washington County. 21 

co-operation with the Western Maryland Railroad and the Pennsyl- 
vania Forestry Department. In addition, one lookout tower and 
two patrolmen in Frederick County look after parts of Washington 
County on South Mountain. A list of the wardens is given below, 
together with their locations and telephone calls, corrected to 
December 1, 1921 : 

Name. Location. Telephone. 

Milton S. Coulter Yarrowsburg Keedysville 9 F 12. 

Samuel Detrow ,.. Hagerstown 

B. Hayes Exline Exline Hancock 2 F 4. 

C. H. Faulder Smoketown Hagerstown 4091 F 22. 

S. D. Frownfelter Hagerstown 

A. J. Fulton Millstone Hancock 33 F 11. 

Ira B. Glenn ....Pondsville Smithsburg 6 F 3. 

J. R. Keller Dargan Keedysville 42 F 2. 

W. S. McAllister Indian Spring 

F. D. Martin Indian Spring Call Clearspring 110 F 3. 

George Norris Sideling Hill Call Hancock 2 F 5. 

B. F. Shadrack Maugansville 

Every landowner is required to do what he can to control fires 
on his own land, but in case the fire cannot be quickly brought 
under control, is liable to cause considerable damage and threatens 
neighboring property, he should at once notify the local forest 
warden, who is a regularly commissioned State officer, with full 
authority to employ all needed assistance, and to take any measures 
that may be necessary to suppress forest fires. 

Much can be done in the way of preventive measures, such as 
clean management in the woodland, including the close utilization 
of the tops and lops after cutting operations, maintaining roads 
through the woodlands free of inflammable material to serve as fire 
lines, and special vigilance on the part of the owner and his em- 
ployes during dry periods and in particular during the hunting 
season when there is a larger number of people in the woods. 

Destructive Gutting Pratices. — It is natural and proper that 
the timber in the woodlands should be cut when mature. It is the 
purpose of forestry to grow successive timber crops on forest lands 
and to maintain their productiveness. Next in importance to the 



22 The Forests of Washington County. 

stopping of fires is the elimination of reckless cutting. The best 
results can generally be obtained by handling the forests under 
what is known as the selection system, that is, cutting from the 
woodlands at intervals, trees as they reach maturity, making room 
for the new growth that is constantly coming on in uneven aged 
hardwood forests of mixed species such as are found throughout 
the County. In the past, the practice has been to remove in one 
heavy cutting the best timber to the smallest salable size, and leave 
for succeeding growth the inferior species, and the crooked and de- 
fective trees which have little or no prospective value. This has, in 
most cases, transformed the stand from one which, in the beginning, 
was made up largely of good species, well formed and well developed 
trees, to a scrub forest consisting largely of inferior species and 
poor specimens. 

This system, or lack of system, must be completely changed if 
the forest is to be restored to full productiveness. It is usually 
poor policy to cut small, thrifty growing trees of high prospective 
value for the small amount that can be realized at the time. But 
if the small trees of good species are cut, then, at least, the defective 
trees and those of poor species should be cut at the same time in 
order to remove unfair competition and give the good species an 
even chance. Any land owner may have his woodlands examined 
and expert advice given as to the best methods of handling them 
by applying to the State Forester, Baltimore. 

Chestnut Blight. — The chestnut blight (Endothia parasitica), 
a fungus disease which first appeared in the County about 1911, 
has spread rapidly, until in 1920 it has killed, or seriously affected 
practically all of the chestnut in the eastern section of the County, 
and has eliminated the chestnut as an important tree species. In 
the western part of the County, the disease appeared somewhat later, 
and has not yet caused complete destruction of the chestnut stands, 
although this is inevitable, and there will scarcely be a live chestnut 
tree in the County in five years. While the tree is killed by this 
disease, the wood is not damaged. There has been, in consequence, 
a much larger quantity of chestnut cut and sold, largely in the 
nature of salvage in the past five years, than ever before. The next 
five years, however, will probably see an end of the chestnut timber 
supply. 



The Forests of Washington County. 



23 



Grazing.— It is customary, particularly in the valley sections, 
to include the farm woodland in the permanent pasture. Where 
this is done, the damaging effect to the woodland is very apparent. 
Pastured woodland, especially if it has been grazed for many 
years, presents a distinct picture, in which the prominent features 
are, first, the absence of young growth which is needed to perpetuate 
the forest; second, the absence of a ground cover, consisting of 
leaves and humus, to serve as a blanket to the soil, conserving 
moisture, keeping the soil in a good physical condition, promoting 
tree growth; third, the soil is dry and hard, the trees become stag- 
headed, with much dead wood in the tops, growth is greatly slowed 
down, or practically stopped, the stand is very much understocked, 
open unproductive areas occur, and the sum result is an unpro- 
ductive, declining woodland and a very poor pasture. Good pas- 
ture and good woodland are impossible in the same area. The least 
amount of damage is done to the woodland from pasturing, when 
the area is fully stocked and the trees have gotten large enough so 
that the lower branches are beyond the reach of the cattle. Under 
such conditions shade will be too dense for gass to grow, although 
the cattle could have the protection of the woodland without doing 
very much damage. 

FOREST PLANTING. 

Washington County contains 41,000 acres of waste land upon 
which no crop of value is being produced. This is 13 per cent, of 
the total land area. All of this land is suitable for timber growing 
and could be made productive by planting it in suitable forest trees. 
The waste land consists, for the most part, of rocky, barren hillsides, 
once cleared and cultivated, but from which the soil has been 
washed away, or has been so badly gullied as to be unfit for agri- 
cultural use. 

In forest planting, native species of proven worth should be 
generally used. The larger number of valuable native species per- 
mits a wide choice for planting purposes. Only a few of the most 
desirable species are here named. 

Black Locust. — This is a rapid growing tree, producing a very 
durable wood, especially valable for fence posts. One year seed- 
lings, about 12 inches high, may be used for planting and should be 



2! _zti I bbesss :r Wasmeksotosi r:T>~~. 

sps ced about Bxf Beet apart Eke locnst -will do veil on poor soil, 

aLthoiLgL :: makes a much, more rapid growth on good soil. In the 
laitex case, it should reach fence post size in fifteen rears. At 
~ --_— years, the majority of the trees shotild make two or three 

T — 



IT" _ r — Has is a native tree of rapid growth, which has 
i;fr even-grj lined wood, nsefnl for many pnrposes. It does not 
thri~r ape : hys ite bat .nmedinm Qnality soils makes i "^17 
---■.-:/.- i ~ - 1 " - Bees from about 4-6 inches high are the most 
practicable size t: nse f : forest planting and should be spaced 
; : ..:_"--'.- : x6 feet apart. 

_~ i " : — Hns is the mosT i - 1 Rowing of the oaks, and is 

dbe T-i si TiirinI hardwood adapted for general forest planting. It 

can either be propagated by planting the acorns in holes abont Ave 

i a [ a Ft r ;_ way. dropping two acorns to the hole, covering abont 

— : indhes leep. or one-year-old seedlings may be nsed. spacing them 

z i feet apart. 

_"-" : Sj — Other species, sneh as white ash on overflow 

bottom lands, black walnnt on deep, moist, fertile soils at the foot 
:i ravines, and sc i :"_ pine on high, dry soils where the soil is thin 
and it is diffi cult to get any other tree to grow, may be nsed. 

In addition to establishing new planting, there are many small 
areas in portions of the woodland which are very nrach undel- 
ete izri. sneh as where open 3j _t~ ocenr. To restore these area* 
t : prodnctiveness in the shortest time it will often be f onnd prac- 
iieal in either plant them with sma ll trees of a species that will 
endnre shade, sneh as Xorway spruce : r sugar maple, or if the cover 
- imfficiently open, trees like white pine and red oak may be need 
Where seedling trees are not easily available, the woodland may be 
reinforced by the planting of red oak acorns in places where trees 
are needed. 

PLAJSTCNG TTDTDBEEAXS 

In the open sections of the County where there is so little wood- 
land as in the Hagerstown Valley, nrach discomfort and damage 
resnlts from the nnrestrained sweep of the winter winds. This con- 
dition can be largely remedied by the planting of windbreaks on 




PLATE III. FIG. 1. — Plantation of White Pine Six Years Old. This species has been 
used successfully for forest planting in Washington County. 




PLATE III. FIG. 2. — 23-Year-Old Black Walnut Plantation. Near Breathedsville. 



The Forests of Washington County. 25 

the windward side of the house and farm buildings and yards where 
livestock is kept. The windbreak should consist of two or more 
rows of trees, preferably evergreens, the rows to be 8-10 feet apart, 
and the trees 6-8 feet apart in the row in an alternate arrangement. 
Norway spruce or white pine is the best species to use, although 
hemlock is almost equally good. 

The influence of the windbreak is dependent upon its density, 
length, and the height of the trees. Its influence is effective for a 
distance equal to ten times the height of the trees, but to secure the 
greatest benefit, the windbreak should be located as close to the 
buildings to be protected, as practicable. 

Where there is no wood on the place, the windbreak may be 
widened to form a combination shelter belt and woodlot, serving a 
double purpose. Beyond the windbreak of evergreens may be 
planted suitable hardwoods for the wood supply. 

THE FUTURE OF THE FORESTS. 

It has been shown on page 15 that the present wood and timber 
cut of the County is taking, annually, large quantities of material 
from the forests. The annual cut amounts to 3,435,000 cubic feet, 
while the most accurate figures on forest growth indicate that the 
72,274 acres of woodland are producing in annual growth only 
2,890,000 cubic feet. These figures show that the forests are being 
used 19 per cent, faster than they are growing. The lumber and 
timber cut has fallen off very markedly in the last eight years, not- 
withstanding the great advance in price paid for forest products. 
The falling off in the cut is due almost entirely to the rapid exhaus- 
tion of available timber supplies. The present average growth for 
the entire forest area of the County is not over 40 cubic feet of wood 
per acre per annum, whereas by eliminating the fire danger and 
applying correct forestry principles in the management of the wood- 
lands for their highest productive value they could be brought up to 
a production of 90 cubic feet per acre per annum, or more than 
twice what they are producing at the present time. This is the 
purpose of forestry and the attainable status of forest production 
for the County. This attained, the present timber cut could be 
doubled without taking more than the annual growth, and produc- 
tion at this rate, could be indefinitely maintained. The increase in 



26 The Forests of Washington County. 

timber values and the great demand for forest products will always 
insure a good market at remunerative prices. In the past, timber 
has been cut with very little thought of the future productiveness 
of the forest, but as values increase, the forests will be handled from 
an entirely different viewpoint. The woodland owner will look upon 
his forest as a growing crop, the amount and value of the ultimate 
harvest depending upon the protection and care given to the grow- 
ing crop. 

The woodlands have suffered so long from fire damage, reckless 
cutting, damage from grazing, and more recently from the chestnut 
blight, that it will take many years to bring them back to a condi- 
tion of full productiveness. The forest fire menace must be stopped, 
the present practice of continually taking out the best of the timber, 
such as the young, immature, thrifty growing trees of the best 
species, leaving the crooked and defective trees and those of the 
pooer species, must be supplanted by improved methods. The 
forest is made up of many tree species, each of different relative 
value, and it is for the forest owner to regulate his cuttings in such 
a way as to give preference to the better species, eliminating the 
poorer trees, and converting his woodland from a scrub forest to one 
of high productiveness. This can generally be done by judicious 
thinnings and improvement cuttings where firewood and other low- 
grade material can be utilized. Washington County possesses for- 
ests of the highest potential value, which, if properly handled, will 
continue to be one of its most valuable assets. 



The Forests of Washington County. 27 



WASHINGTON COUNTY REPORT. 



SUMMARY. 

The forested area of 72,274 acres, which is 24 per cent, of the 
total land area, is sufficient to supply all of the timber needs if it 
were fully productive. 

Forest fires have done more damage to the forests than all 
other agencies combined. Ninety per cent, of them are preventable. 
The fire menace can be stopped by the exercise of reasonable care 
on the part of those Avho use or travel through the woodlands. 

There are 79 different species of native trees, nearly all used to 
some extent, and at least 20 of them of considerable commercial 
importance. 

The 32 sawmills cut, in 1920, 4,300,000 feet board measure of 
lumber, which, with the output of ties, staves, lath, poles, pulpwood, 
cordwood, mine props, and tanbark by other operators, furnished 
a lumber and timber output valued at $308,840. In addition $73,680 
worth of timber and wood was cut and used at home. 

There are 15 woodworking plants in the County, employing 966 
men, using lumber and wood products to the value of nearly $500,- 
000 annually, and through process of further manufacture turn this 
material into valuable articles exceeding in value many times the 
raw product. 

The chestnut blight, a fungus disease, has killed 75 per cent, of 
the chestnut, one of the most valuable tree species. The remaining 
chestnut is doomed, and will probably not survive more than five 
years longer. 

There are 41,000 acres of waste land upon which no crop of 
value is now growing. This is 13 per cent, of the whole land area. 
Nearly all of it is capable of growing timber, and most of it should 
be planted in forest trees to restore productiveness without delay. 



28 The Forests of Washington County. 

The planting of windbreaks in the open country is needed to 
protect homes and livestock from severe winter winds. 

Due to damage from fires, destructive cutting methods and 
grazing the forest area is not producing, on the average, more than 
40 cubic feet of wood growth per acre per annum. 

The forest lands, protected from fires, and properly managed, 
are capable of producing 90 cubic feet of wood per acre per annum, 
or more than twice what they are doing now. 

The present annual wood and timber consumption is about 
3,435,000 cubic feet, while the annual growth is but 2,890,000 cubic 
feet. The forest is being used nearly one-fifth faster than it is 
growing, which means cutting heavily into capital, a procedure that 
cannot last long without serious consequences. Forest growth must 
be increased by eliminating fires and practicing real forestry. 



MARYLAND BOARD OF FORESTRY 







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